)
, deity_of = Goddess of civilization, courage, fertility, handicraft, love, victory, warfare and wisdom
, member_of =
Lairembis and
Umang Lai
Umang Lai are the group of sacred groves preserved for the local forest deities (with the same title), worshipped by the Meitei people, the Pangal people and Meitei Christians, the predominant ethnic groups, since ancient times in the Himalayan ...
s
, image = PANTHOIPI.jpg
, alt =
, caption = Goddess Panthoipi charging forward riding on her white horse
, other_names =
* Ayang Leima
* Koirel Leima ( omp, Koilel Leima)
* Koiren Leima ( omp, Koilen Leima)
* Nongpok Leima
, hiro =
, Old_Norse =
, script_name =
, script =
, affiliation =
Meitei mythology
Meitei mythology or Manipuri mythology ( mni, Meitei Mi Lai Tingi Wari) is a collection of myths, belonging to the religious and cultural traditions of the Meitei people, the predominant ethnic group of Manipur. It is associated with tradi ...
(
Manipuri mythology
Meitei mythology or Manipuri mythology ( mni, Meitei Mi Lai Tingi Wari) is a collection of myths, belonging to the religious and cultural traditions of the Meitei people, the predominant ethnic group of Manipur. It is associated with tradi ...
) and
Meitei religion
()
, native_name_lang = mni
, image = The Symbol of Sanamahi.svg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = The Symbol of Sanamahism (Source: Wakoklon Heelel Thilen Salai Amailon Pukok Puya)
, ...
(
Sanamahism
()
, native_name_lang = mni
, image = The Symbol of Sanamahi.svg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = The Symbol of Sanamahism (Source: Wakoklon Heelel Thilen Salai Amailon Pukok Puya)
, ...
)
, cult_center =
Nongmaiching Hill (alias Selloi Langmai Hill)
, abode =
Nongmaiching Hill (alias Selloi Langmai Hill)
, planet =
, weapons =
Spear
A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...
and
Sword
A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...
, battles =
, artifacts =
Kajenglei
, animals = white horse or tiger
, symbol =
Kajenglei
, adherents =
, height =
, age =
, tree =
, day =
, color =
, number =
, consorts =
Tarang Khoinucha and
Nongpok Ningthou
)
, deity_of = Sovereign of the East Guardian God of the Eastern Direction
, member_of = Maikei Ngaakpa Lais and Umang Lais
, image = NONGPOK NINGTHOU.jpg
, alt =
, caption = "Nongpok Ningthou", the name of t ...
, parents =
, siblings =
, offspring =
, predecessor =
, successor =
, army =
, mount = white horse or tiger
, texts =
*
Panthoibi Khongul
*
Panthoibi Naheirol
*
Numit Kappa
Numit Kappa ( mni, ꯅꯨꯃꯤꯠ ꯀꯥꯞꯄ, /noo-meet kaap-pa/, Shooting of the Sun) is an ancient mythological epic literary work, written in Meitei language of Manipur. The work is believed to be written around or before 33 AD.
The Epi ...
, gender = female
, Greek_equivalent =
Athena
Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...
,
Aphrodite
Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols include ...
, Roman_equivalent =
Minerva
Minerva (; ett, Menrva) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of strategic war. From the second century BC onward, the Roma ...
,
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...
, Etruscan_equivalent =
Menrva
Menrva (also spelled Menerva) was an Etruscan goddess of war, art, wisdom, and medicine. She contributed much of her character to the Roman Minerva. She was the child of Uni and Tinia.
Although Menrva was seen by Hellenized Etruscans as their cou ...
,
Turan
Turan ( ae, Tūiriiānəm, pal, Tūrān; fa, توران, Turân, , "The Land of Tur") is a historical region in Central Asia. The term is of Iranian origin and may refer to a particular prehistoric human settlement, a historic geographical re ...
, Christian_equivalent =
, Slavic_equivalent =
, Hinduism_equivalent =
Durga
Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.
Durga's legend centres around co ...
, Canaanite_equivalent =
, equivalent1_type = Egyptian
, equivalent1 =
Neith
Neith ( grc-koi, Νηΐθ, a borrowing of the Demotic (Egyptian), Demotic form egy, nt, likely originally to have been nrt "she is the terrifying one"; Coptic language, Coptic: ⲛⲏⲓⲧ; also spelled Nit, Net, or Neit) was an early ancien ...
,
Hathor
Hathor ( egy, ḥwt-ḥr, lit=House of Horus, grc, Ἁθώρ , cop, ϩⲁⲑⲱⲣ, Meroitic: ) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion who played a wide variety of roles. As a sky deity, she was the mother or consort of the sky ...
and
Isis
Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...
, equivalent2_type = Chinese
, equivalent2 =
Jiutian Xuannü
In Chinese mythology, Jiutian Xuannü is the goddess of war, sex, and longevity..
Etymology
This goddess was initially known as ''Xuannü'' ().. The name has been variously translated as the "Dark Lady" or the "Mysterious Lady". in English. In ...
, region =
Ancient Kangleipak
The Manipur Kingdom
was an ancient independent kingdom at the India–Burma frontier that was in subsidiary alliance with British India from 1824, and became a princely state in 1891. It bordered Assam Province in the west and Briti ...
(early
Manipur
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...
)
, ethnic_group =
Meitei ethnicity
The Meitei people, also known as the Manipuri people,P.20: "historically, academically and conventionally Manipuri prominently refers to the Meetei people."P.24: "For the Meeteis, Manipuris comprise Meeteis, Lois, Kukis, Nagas and Pangal." is ...
, festivals =
*
Panthoibi Iratpa
Panthoibi Iratpa or Panthoibi Iraat Thouni or Panthoibi Puja is a religious festival of the Manipuri people dedicated to goddess Panthoibi, the goddess of courage, war, bravery and wisdom of Sanamahism (Manipuri religion). The festival falls o ...
*
Lai Haraoba
Lai Haraoba is a festival associated with the Meitei people celebrated to please the Umang Lai, the traditional Deity, deities of Sanamahism. Translated, Lai Haraoba means ''merry making of the Gods'' in Meitei language, Meiteilon. In this festi ...
Panthoibi ( mni, , omp, ) is a goddess associated with civilization, courage, fertility, handicraft, love, victory, warfare and wisdom in the
mythology
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...
and
religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
of
Ancient Kangleipak
The Manipur Kingdom
was an ancient independent kingdom at the India–Burma frontier that was in subsidiary alliance with British India from 1824, and became a princely state in 1891. It bordered Assam Province in the west and Briti ...
(early
Manipur
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...
).
She is a consort of the God
Nongpok Ningthou
)
, deity_of = Sovereign of the East Guardian God of the Eastern Direction
, member_of = Maikei Ngaakpa Lais and Umang Lais
, image = NONGPOK NINGTHOU.jpg
, alt =
, caption = "Nongpok Ningthou", the name of t ...
.
She is considered to be one of the divine incarnations of
Leimarel Sidabi
)
, deity_of = Goddess of earth, nature and household
, member_of = Imung Lais
, image = Relief art depicting Salailen (Salailel), the Supreme God, creating Leimalen (Leimalel), the first female being in the universe, according ...
and is also identified as a form of Goddess
Nongthang Leima
Nongthang Leima ( mni, ꯅꯣꯡꯊꯥꯡ ꯂꯩꯃ) is the goddess of seduction, thunder and lightning in Meitei mythology and Meitei religion, religion. She was created by Atingkok (or Salailen) to attract Pakhangba, Haraba (Pakhangba).
She ma ...
.
She is worshipped mainly by the
Meitei people
The Meitei people, also known as the Manipuri people,P.20: "historically, academically and conventionally Manipuri prominently refers to the Meetei people."P.24: "For the Meeteis, Manipuris comprise Meeteis, Lois, Kukis, Nagas and Pangal." is ...
in Manipur,
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
,
Tripura
Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest state in the country, it covers ; and the seventh-least populous state with a population of 36.71 lakh ( 3.67 million). It is bordered by Assam and Mizoram to the east a ...
,
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
and
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
.
The personality of Panthoibi and other Meitei goddesses like
Emoinu
Imoinu or Emoinu ( mni, ꯏꯃꯣꯏꯅꯨ) is a goddess associated with household, hearth, family, fireplace, kitchen, wealth, peace and prosperity in Meitei mythology and religion of Ancient Kangleipak (Antique Manipur). She is frequently ...
and
Phouoibi
Phouoibi (Fouoibi) or Phouoipi (Fouoipi) or Phouleima (Fouleima) or Phoureima (Foureima) is the goddess and the female personification of the agriculture, crops, fertility, grains, harvest, paddy, rice and wealth in Meitei mythology and religi ...
depict as well as influence the courage, independence, righteousness and social honour of Meitei women.
History
According to the ''Panthoibi Khongul'', the worship of goddess Panthoibi began in the era of the
Khaba
Khaba (also read as Hor-Khaba) was a pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, active during the Third Dynasty of Egypt, 3rd Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Old Kingdom period. The exact time during which Khaba ruled is unknown but may have been around 267 ...
dynasty.
In 1100 AD, the
Loyumba Shinyen mentions the Heishnam clan's service to goddess Panthoibi. The text addresses her as the most adored Meetei goddess.
In the 17th century, Panthoibi appeared as a war goddess riding on a tiger. The
Cheitharol Kumbaba
''Cheitharol Kumbaba'', also spelled ''Cheithalon Kumpapa'', is the court chronicle of the kings of Manipur.
The oldest extant version was copied in the early 19th century, under Jai Singh, the puppet king installed after the Burmese invasion, ...
's first record of the building of a temple of Panthoibi was in the year 1686. The same text's first record of the making of her statue was in the year 1699.
In the 18th century, there was a decline in the worship of Panthoibi mirrored a rise of
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...
in Manipur. Hindu King
Garib Niwaj Pamheiba (1709-1748) pulled down her temples and broke her statues, and from the 18th century onwards, Panthoibi was treated as a manifestation of the Hindu goddess
Durga
Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.
Durga's legend centres around co ...
or as her incarnation or as her manifestation. The identity of Panthoibi was changed to that of Hindu goddess
Durga
Durga ( sa, दुर्गा, ) is a major Hindu goddess, worshipped as a principal aspect of the mother goddess Mahadevi. She is associated with protection, strength, motherhood, destruction, and wars.
Durga's legend centres around co ...
. She was worshipped for five days in September – October.
No more temples to Panthoibi were built from 1700 until the modern era came.
Since 1960s, the worship of Panthoibi has increased, beginning to replace the worship of Durga.
Attributes and epithets
Goddess Panthoibi is regarded as self-confident and self-conscious with female pride. Legend says she has many
metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation. Some inse ...
(forms). One example is
Phouoibi
Phouoibi (Fouoibi) or Phouoipi (Fouoipi) or Phouleima (Fouleima) or Phoureima (Foureima) is the goddess and the female personification of the agriculture, crops, fertility, grains, harvest, paddy, rice and wealth in Meitei mythology and religi ...
(goddess of grains).
Panthoibi is regarded the ruling deity of birth and death.
Panthoibi as a priestess goddess
According to the Anoirol text, goddess Panthoibi is a personification of ''Khabi Lengnao Mombi''. The latter is the ancient
amaibi (lit. ''priestess''). Different personifications of Panthoibi manifest differently according to different texts. Panthoibi was regarded as a pre-historical
Maibi
Maibi are the priestess of Manipur Kingdom commonly known for performing religious rites. They are considered as shamans as well as midwives. They possess various skills of religious activities and ancient medicinal knowledge.
See also
Sanamahis ...
. She is also regarded as an incarnation of goddess
Nongthang Leima
Nongthang Leima ( mni, ꯅꯣꯡꯊꯥꯡ ꯂꯩꯃ) is the goddess of seduction, thunder and lightning in Meitei mythology and Meitei religion, religion. She was created by Atingkok (or Salailen) to attract Pakhangba, Haraba (Pakhangba).
She ma ...
, another goddess
amaibi.
[Manipur, a Tourist Paradise - Page 82 - E. Ishwarjit Singh · 2005][Celebration of Life: Indian Folk Dances - Page 129 - Jiwan Pani, India. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Publications Division · 2000]
Panthoibi as a goddess of game
Panthoibi is a ruling deity of the ''Kang'' game. Kang is a popular indoor game of
Meitei tradition in
Manipur
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...
. Kang players pray to her before and during the game. People believe that one cannot do his or her best at the game without her blessings.
Panthoibi as a patron goddess of potters
Goddess Panthoibi is the patron deity of all the
potters
A potter is someone who makes pottery.
Potter may also refer to:
Places United States
*Potter, originally a section on the Alaska Railroad, currently a neighborhood of Anchorage, Alaska, US
* Potter, Arkansas
* Potter, Nebraska
*Potters, New Jer ...
. She gifted the pot-making art to the women of
Manipur
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...
. She was taught the art of
pottery
Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and por ...
by goddess
Leimarel Sidabi
)
, deity_of = Goddess of earth, nature and household
, member_of = Imung Lais
, image = Relief art depicting Salailen (Salailel), the Supreme God, creating Leimalen (Leimalel), the first female being in the universe, according ...
before her disappearance.
She has another
mythology
Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...
about this.
Panthoibi as the goddess of death and fertility
Goddess Panthoibi has legendary connections to ''Haoreibi Shampubi'' (alias
Haoreima). Haoreibi Shampubi is a woman from the hills. She was killed while arranging to meet her lover. She turned into a
tortured
Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts c ...
spirit. She is regarded as an
incarnation
Incarnation literally means ''embodied in flesh'' or ''taking on flesh''. It refers to the conception and the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form or the appearance of a god as a human. If capitalized, it is the union of divinit ...
of Panthoibi. So, the goddess became associated with death and fertility.
Panthoibi as the goddess of diseases and illnesses
Panthoibi reacts badly to bad actions of the humans. If a person has spit nearby Panthoibi's shrine, he or she will not be able to turn his or her neck. It could be healed only by a
maiba. For this, the maiba will perform a ritual.
Panthoibi as the goddess of spinning and weaving
Learned from a spider
Goddess Panthoibi got inspired by a spider. It was making
cobweb
A spider web, spiderweb, spider's web, or cobweb (from the archaic word '' coppe'', meaning "spider") is a structure created by a spider out of proteinaceous spider silk extruded from its spinnerets, generally meant to catch its prey.
Spi ...
s in a corner. From the spider, the art of
spinning
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning
* Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis
* Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
and
weaving
Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal th ...
was learned.
Panthoibi imitated the pattern of weaving of the spider. Later, she introduced the art of weaving.
[Bulletin - Indian Museum - Volume 33 - Page 247 - Indian Museum · 1998]
Learned from another goddess
In another legendary account, Panthoibi was taught the art of weaving by Goddess ''Leishambi''. Leishambi is the goddess of creation.
Mythology
Panthoibi is a lady of surpassing beauty. She is a daughter of a Meitei king. Many kings and princes wanted to marry her. King Shapaiba ( omp, Shapaipa) was from the western parts of the valley of
Ancient Kangleipak
The Manipur Kingdom
was an ancient independent kingdom at the India–Burma frontier that was in subsidiary alliance with British India from 1824, and became a princely state in 1891. It bordered Assam Province in the west and Briti ...
(
Antique Manipur
An antique ( la, antiquus; 'old', 'ancient') is an item perceived as having value because of its aesthetic or historical significance, and often defined as at least 100 years old (or some other limit), although the term is often used loosely ...
). He was one among her
suitor
Courtship is the period wherein some couples get to know each other prior to a possible marriage. Courtship traditionally may begin after a betrothal and may conclude with the celebration of marriage. A courtship may be an informal and private m ...
s. He promised her to construct good roads, beautiful bridges, spacious house and fish ponds. Every promises were just for the sake of her. Despite all these, she did not accept his proposal. Finally, Panthoibi was married to Tarang Khoinucha (alias Taram Khoinucha). Her mortal husband is the son of King Khaba Sokchrongba and Queen Teknga of the Khaba dynasty. Her marriage ceremony was an outstanding one. Bridge poles were made of iron. The
plank
Plank may refer to:
*Plank (wood), flat, elongated, and rectangular timber with parallel faces
*Plank (exercise), an isometric exercise for the abdominal muscles
* Martins Creek (Kentucky), the location of Plank post office
* ''The Plank'' (1967 fi ...
s were made of silver plates. The side
railings were made of golden rods.
Meeting Nongpok Ningthou
Goddess Panthoibi met God
Nongpok Ningthou
)
, deity_of = Sovereign of the East Guardian God of the Eastern Direction
, member_of = Maikei Ngaakpa Lais and Umang Lais
, image = NONGPOK NINGTHOU.jpg
, alt =
, caption = "Nongpok Ningthou", the name of t ...
(alias Angoupa Kainou Chingsangsompa) for the first time when she was wandering in the open meadows, bathing and sporting in the cool waters of the running river. She was attracted to his handsome looks and
towering personality. The two fell in love at first sight. She was proposed by Nongpok Ningthou to elope with him. But the already married goddess did not accept the instant proposal very soon. It was because it was not even five days passed after her wedding. She insisted him to spend some time.
Panthoibi and Nongpok Ningthou secretly met many times. This causes the in-laws of Panthoibi to have suspicion over her. Her mortal husband tried to win her heart many times. But all of these attempts failed. Panthoibi and Nongpok Ningthou finally eloped. They wore the attires of the
Tangkhuls.
The two divine lovers ultimately got united on the sun-washed slopes of the
Nongmaiching Hills. Their happy union was celebrated with dances and music by the gods (by the ''Langmai people'' and not the ''gods'' in another version). These celebration gave birth to the
Lai Haraoba
Lai Haraoba is a festival associated with the Meitei people celebrated to please the Umang Lai, the traditional Deity, deities of Sanamahism. Translated, Lai Haraoba means ''merry making of the Gods'' in Meitei language, Meiteilon. In this festi ...
festival.
Another version
In another version of the story, Panthoibi first met Nongpok Ningthou when she was helping her father at
jhum cultivation (Slash-and-burn). The two fell in love at first sight without any talks. But Panthoibi married another man against her will. She left her husband's house to search for her true lover. Nongpok Ningthou also left his home for the same purpose. The two lovers met at the
Kangla
The Kangla Palace ( mni, /kəŋ.la/), popularly as well as officially known as the Kangla Fort, is an old fortified palace at Imphal in the Manipur state of India. It was formerly situated on both sides (western and eastern) of the bank of t ...
. Kangla became the place of their divine union. So, it is considered to be a special place of coronation of the Meitei kings.
Panthoibi and the Sun God
According to the
Numit Kappa
Numit Kappa ( mni, ꯅꯨꯃꯤꯠ ꯀꯥꯞꯄ, /noo-meet kaap-pa/, Shooting of the Sun) is an ancient mythological epic literary work, written in Meitei language of Manipur. The work is believed to be written around or before 33 AD.
The Epi ...
text (c. 1st century), two suns shone in the ancient sky. One was wounded by an archer hero (''many men'' in some version). The two brother suns fled from their positions. They hid for ten long days. So, the world remain in darkness. No men could work. Crops perished. Cattles died. So, the ten godly kings (or ''kingly gods'') approached to many divinities. They requested each to
plead
In law as practiced in countries that follow the English models, a pleading is a formal written statement of a party's claims or defenses to another party's claims in a civil action. The parties' pleadings in a case define the issues to be adjudi ...
with the Sun God. None succeeded to do so. Finally, the ten gods came to Princess Panthoibi. It was because she knew many mysteries and secrets. So, she showed them magical ceremonies to lure the Sun God. They did the same to the Sun God. The unwounded Sun God returned. But the wounded one never returned.
Panthoibi and the weaving spider
Once Panthoibi saw a
spider
Spiders ( order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species ...
. It was producing fine threads. It was also making
cobwebs (spiderwebs). From this, she got the knowledge. She started the art of weaving. The divine feminine association of the art signifies the association of females with weaving.
Pottery and Human Civilization
After the creation of the human beings, Panthoibi made their settlements and habitats. Human started eating and drinking. Panthoibi realised the need of vessels to store food and water. So, she started making pots. In the beginning, she lacked the idea how to make a pot. Later, she looked around. She saw a flower - ''Nura Khudonglei'' (''
Malabar melastome''). She imitated the shape and the design of the flower. Then, she produced a pot. Since then, human civilization starting making pots for cooking food and drinking water.
Ancient texts-ꯄꯨꯌꯥ
In ancient
Meitei religion
()
, native_name_lang = mni
, image = The Symbol of Sanamahi.svg
, imagewidth =
, alt =
, caption = The Symbol of Sanamahism (Source: Wakoklon Heelel Thilen Salai Amailon Pukok Puya)
, ...
, Goddess Panthoibi is given one hundred and fifteen divine names, describing her varying attributes. Her description is mentioned in several ancient
texts including ''Panthoibi Khongul'' as well as ''Panthoibi Mingkheilol''.
Panthoibi Khongul
Here's a description from the Panthoibi Khongul, an ancient text:-
“O Tampha, your measure reaches the sky; an everlasting radiance marks your presence; you are the source of all living beings… both birth and death are your handiwork, you are the repository of all wealth; you can unravel the mystery of human souls and keep both the earth and the heaven jointly linked; you give shelter to the souls of living beings, keep them as beads are strung together; you are the highest of all goddesses and the most munificent in bestowing blessings… both the striped tiger and the white horse are your chargers; you can gallop on tall grass tops without even leaving a trace… you are born of the noblest royal family, are unmindful of your brothers and parents as disposed to doing only what pleases you… you are the very embodiment of beauty but still indulge in constant baths at every fount and embellish your tender body, use all the fruits of the Langmāi Hills as unguents, always neatly comb your tresses of hair, skitter lightly with your drapery loosely hung on your full blossomed body; your teeth are like pearls, your lips are as red as the wild tayāl in the bamboo grove; your fingers are soft as those of a neonate; your name is Panthoipi as no parents or brothers can exercise control over you; you appropriated the name by yourself ere anyone confers it on you; you have an unfettered soul, nowhere can you keep yourself confined, you have as many appearances as you please to change your abode… you lord over the vast empty vault, took your birth with the flash of lightning… you are the receptacle of all knowledge… no opponent can confront you in the stricken field, you shine more than the glories of all divine beings put together… you emerged with the flash of summer lightning before dewdrops got condensed in the sky, before sound itself could be audible and before the azure welkin could yet cover its vast expanse… you are effulgent in the open sky like one thousand suns… all the divine beings emanate from you… the wide universe is your creation… you take fancy more to lively frolics that engaging your intelligence… you pervade all the directions…”
- Panthoibi Khongul.
Worship
Panthoibi is mainly worshipped by the Heisnam family of
Meitei ethnicity
The Meitei people, also known as the Manipuri people,P.20: "historically, academically and conventionally Manipuri prominently refers to the Meetei people."P.24: "For the Meeteis, Manipuris comprise Meeteis, Lois, Kukis, Nagas and Pangal." is ...
. So, she is also known as ''Heisnam Lairembi'' (lit. Goddess of the Heisnam).
Association with other goddesses
Panthoibi is regarded as one of the divine incarnations of Goddess
Leimarel Sidabi
)
, deity_of = Goddess of earth, nature and household
, member_of = Imung Lais
, image = Relief art depicting Salailen (Salailel), the Supreme God, creating Leimalen (Leimalel), the first female being in the universe, according ...
. She is also regarded as an incarnation of goddess
Nongthang Leima
Nongthang Leima ( mni, ꯅꯣꯡꯊꯥꯡ ꯂꯩꯃ) is the goddess of seduction, thunder and lightning in Meitei mythology and Meitei religion, religion. She was created by Atingkok (or Salailen) to attract Pakhangba, Haraba (Pakhangba).
She ma ...
.
She also has many forms including
Phouoibi
Phouoibi (Fouoibi) or Phouoipi (Fouoipi) or Phouleima (Fouleima) or Phoureima (Foureima) is the goddess and the female personification of the agriculture, crops, fertility, grains, harvest, paddy, rice and wealth in Meitei mythology and religi ...
(goddess of grains).
Goddess ''Haoreibi Shampubi'' (alias
Haoreima) is also regarded as an incarnation of Panthoibi.
Festivals
Panthoibi Iratpa
''Panthoibi Iratpa'' (''Panthoibi Eratpa'') is a religious festival dedicated to goddess Panthoipi. It is celebrated every year.
Lai Haraoba
Panthoibi and
Nongpok Ningthou
)
, deity_of = Sovereign of the East Guardian God of the Eastern Direction
, member_of = Maikei Ngaakpa Lais and Umang Lais
, image = NONGPOK NINGTHOU.jpg
, alt =
, caption = "Nongpok Ningthou", the name of t ...
are at the core of
Lai Haraoba
Lai Haraoba is a festival associated with the Meitei people celebrated to please the Umang Lai, the traditional Deity, deities of Sanamahism. Translated, Lai Haraoba means ''merry making of the Gods'' in Meitei language, Meiteilon. In this festi ...
festival. Their legend finds an important place in the
lyrical literature of
Ancient Manipur
The Manipur Kingdom
was an ancient independent kingdom at the India–Burma frontier that was in subsidiary alliance with British India from 1824, and became a princely state in 1891. It bordered Assam Province in the west and Brit ...
.
In Art forms
Panthoibi Jagoi
''Panthoibi Jagoi'' is a duet dance form. It is accompanied by a song of love. It is sung by a
maibi
Maibi are the priestess of Manipur Kingdom commonly known for performing religious rites. They are considered as shamans as well as midwives. They possess various skills of religious activities and ancient medicinal knowledge.
See also
Sanamahis ...
and a ''Pena Khongba'' (
Pena player). It has reference to the love of Panthoibi and
Nongpok Ningthou
)
, deity_of = Sovereign of the East Guardian God of the Eastern Direction
, member_of = Maikei Ngaakpa Lais and Umang Lais
, image = NONGPOK NINGTHOU.jpg
, alt =
, caption = "Nongpok Ningthou", the name of t ...
. It also depicts the process of
weaving
Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal th ...
.
Panthoibi Sheishak
''Panthoibi Sheishak'' is a song sung in the
Lai Haraoba
Lai Haraoba is a festival associated with the Meitei people celebrated to please the Umang Lai, the traditional Deity, deities of Sanamahism. Translated, Lai Haraoba means ''merry making of the Gods'' in Meitei language, Meiteilon. In this festi ...
festival. It is performed by the
Pena players. It retells the story of Panthoibi searching for her beloved Nongpok Ningthou.
It is one of the 9 singing styles (tunes) sung in the
Lai Haraoba
Lai Haraoba is a festival associated with the Meitei people celebrated to please the Umang Lai, the traditional Deity, deities of Sanamahism. Translated, Lai Haraoba means ''merry making of the Gods'' in Meitei language, Meiteilon. In this festi ...
.
Tangkhul Nurabi Loutaba
''Tangkhul Nurabi Loutaba'' is an
enactment
Enactment may refer to:
Law
* Enactment of a bill, when a bill becomes law
* Enacting formula, formulaic words in a bill or act which introduce its provisions
* Enactment (British legal term), a piece of legislation or a legal instrument made un ...
of the
repartee
Wit is a form of intelligent humour, the ability to say or write things that are clever and usually funny. Someone witty is a person who is skilled at making clever and funny remarks. Forms of wit include the quip, repartee, and wisecrack.
Form ...
between Tangkhul Pakhang (an incarnation of
Nongpok Ningthou
)
, deity_of = Sovereign of the East Guardian God of the Eastern Direction
, member_of = Maikei Ngaakpa Lais and Umang Lais
, image = NONGPOK NINGTHOU.jpg
, alt =
, caption = "Nongpok Ningthou", the name of t ...
) and Tangkhul Nurabi (an incarnation of Panthoibi). The two repartee players dress up in
Tangkhul Naga costumes of farming in the field. This is performed on the last night of the
Kanglei Haraoba (one of the 4 forms of
Lai Haraoba
Lai Haraoba is a festival associated with the Meitei people celebrated to please the Umang Lai, the traditional Deity, deities of Sanamahism. Translated, Lai Haraoba means ''merry making of the Gods'' in Meitei language, Meiteilon. In this festi ...
festival).
Namesakes
*The ''Panthoibi Emporium'' is a trading center in
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
*The ''Panthoibi Housing Finance Company Limited'' is a housing financial company in
Imphal
Imphal ( Meitei pronunciation: /im.pʰal/; English pronunciation: ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Manipur. The metropolitan centre of the city contains the ruins of Kangla Palace (also known as Kangla Fort), the royal seat of the fo ...
.
*The ''Panthoibi Manipur Handicrafts Emporium'' is an emporium in
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It mainly sells handmade
silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
products from Manipur.
References
Bibliography
Ariba Manipuri Sahityagee Saklon by Nabachandra, PolemChinglon Laihui by Manglem Meitei, LairenjamErat Laisol by Singh, Khulem ChandrashekharKhannashi Neinnashi Leishatpa Puya by Manglem Meitei,lLairemjam Manglem Gi Lai Haraoba by Manglem Meitei, LairenjamLanggol Chinggoirol by Singh, Kulchandra NgariyambamManipuree Funggawaree Part 1 by Singh, Kabrabam NeelakantaManipuree Funggawaree Part 2 by Singh, Kabrabam NeelakantaYek Taretki Meihourol by Manglem Meitei,lYek Taret Ki Meihouron by Manglem Meitei,l
External links
E-PAO, PanthoibiINTERNET ARCHIVE, PanthoibiLearners' Manipuri-English dictionary, Panthoibi
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